Equivocar Present Tense in Spanish
equivocar means "to mistake" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for equivocar, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo equivoco la fecha del examen. — "Every day, I mistake the date of the exam." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of equivocar: full table
Every person of equivocar in the present tense. The gerund is equivocando and the past participle is equivocado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | equivoco |
| tú | equivocas |
| él/ella/Ud. | equivoca |
| nosotros/as | equivocamos |
| vosotros/as | equivocáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | equivocan |
The gerund of equivocar is equivocando and the past participle is equivocado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy equivocando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he equivocado).
How the present tense of equivocar is formed
The present tense of equivocar is built from the stem equivoc- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo equivoco, tú equivocas, él equivoca, nosotros equivocamos, vosotros equivocáis and ellos equivocan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | equivoco |
| tú | -as | equivocas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | equivoca |
| nosotros/as | -amos | equivocamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | equivocáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | equivocan |
Watch the spelling: the c becomes qu before e, so the yo preterite is equivoqué and the subjunctive forms start with qu, for example equivoque.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is equivocando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy equivocando. The past participle is equivocado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he equivocado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with equivocar
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo equivoco la fecha del examen. — "Every day, I mistake the date of the exam." The complement in this sentence is about the date of the exam, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear equivocar in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú equivocas el número de teléfono. — "Now, you mistake the phone number." The complement in this sentence is about the phone number, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear equivocar in the present tense.
3. General truths
The present tense states facts that are generally true, not tied to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él equivoca la dirección de la casa. — "Normally, he/she mistakes the address of the house." The complement in this sentence is about the address of the house, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear equivocar in the present tense.
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example: Mañana, nosotros equivocamos el nombre de su profesora. — "Tomorrow, we mistake his teacher's name." The complement in this sentence is about his teacher's name, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear equivocar in the present tense.
5. Frequent actions
With words such as siempre, a menudo and todos los días, the present tense shows how often something happens. For example: Siempre, ellos equivocan la fecha del examen. — "Always, they mistake the date of the exam." The complement in this sentence is about the date of the exam, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear equivocar in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: equivocar
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with equivocar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo equivoco la fecha del examen. — "Every day, I mistake the date of the exam."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo equivoqué la fecha del examen. — "Yesterday, I mistook the date of the exam."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, tú equivocas el número de teléfono. — "Every day, you mistake the phone number."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú equivocaste el número de teléfono. — "Yesterday, you mistook the phone number."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, él equivoca la dirección de la casa. — "Every day, he/she mistakes the address of the house."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él equivocó la dirección de la casa. — "Yesterday, he/she mistook the address of the house."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: equivocar in the present tense
These eight sentences show equivocar in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo equivoco la fecha del examen. — "I mistake the date of the exam."
- Tú equivocas el número de teléfono. — "you mistake the phone number."
- Él equivoca la dirección de la casa. — "he/she mistakes the address of the house."
- Nosotros equivocamos el nombre de su profesora. — "we mistake his teacher's name."
- Vosotros equivocáis la fecha del examen. — "you (plural) mistake the date of the exam."
- Ellos equivocan el número de teléfono. — "they mistake the phone number."
- Yo equivoco la dirección de la casa. — "I mistake the address of the house."
- Tú equivocas el nombre de su profesora. — "you mistake his teacher's name."
Common mistakes with equivocar in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros equivocais la fecha del examen.
- Right: Vosotros equivocáis la fecha del examen.
- Why: The vosotros form equivocáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me equivoco la fecha del examen.
- Right: Yo equivoco la fecha del examen.
- Why: equivocar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add. The extra pronoun changes the meaning of the sentence.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo equivoco el número de teléfono.
- Right: Ayer, yo equivoqué el número de teléfono.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo equivoqué el número de teléfono. — "Yesterday, I mistook the phone number." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo equivoco la dirección de la casa.
- Right: Antes, yo equivocaba la dirección de la casa.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo equivocaba la dirección de la casa. — "In the past, I used to mistake the address of the house." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros equivoca la fecha del examen.
- Right: Nosotros equivocamos la fecha del examen.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes equivocamos, while equivoca belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of equivocar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of equivocar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of equivocar in the present tense?
- (a) equivoco
- (b) equivocas
- (c) equivoca
- (d) equivocamos
Answer: (a) equivoco. The yo form is equivoco. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of equivocar in the present tense?
- (a) equivoco
- (b) equivoca
- (c) equivocamos
- (d) equivocas
Answer: (d) equivocas. The tú form is equivocas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of equivocar in the present tense?
- (a) equivocas
- (b) equivocamos
- (c) equivoca
- (d) equivoco
Answer: (c) equivoca. The él/ella form is equivoca. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of equivocar in the present tense?
- (a) equivoca
- (b) equivocamos
- (c) equivoco
- (d) equivocas
Answer: (b) equivocamos. The nosotros form is equivocamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of equivocar in the present tense?
- (a) equivocan
- (b) equivoco
- (c) equivocas
- (d) equivoca
Answer: (a) equivocan. The ellos/ellas form is equivocan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la fecha del examen.
- (a) equivocas
- (b) equivoca
- (c) equivocamos
- (d) equivoco
Answer: (d) equivoco. The sentence needs the yo form equivoco (Every day, I mistake the date of the exam.)
7. What is the gerund of equivocar?
- (a) equivocado
- (b) equivoco
- (c) equivocar
- (d) equivocando
Answer: (d) equivocando. The gerund is equivocando, used for the progressive: estoy equivocando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Ayer, yo equivoqué el número de teléfono.
- (b) Mañana, yo equivocaré el número de teléfono.
- (c) Cada día, yo equivoco el número de teléfono.
- (d) Antes, yo equivocaba el número de teléfono.
Answer: (c) Cada día, yo equivoco el número de teléfono.. Cada día, yo equivoco el número de teléfono. (Every day, I mistake the phone number.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo equivoqué el número de teléfono. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo equivocaré el número de teléfono. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of equivocar
Is equivocar regular in the present tense?
Almost. equivocar is a spelling-changing (c → qu before e) -ar verb, so its endings are regular, but watch the spelling: Watch the spelling: the c becomes qu before e, so the yo preterite is equivoqué and the subjunctive forms start with qu, for example equivoque.
How do you say 'mistake' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo equivoco la fecha del examen. — "Every day, I mistake the date of the exam." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with equivocar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo equivoco el número de teléfono. — "Every day, I mistake the phone number." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo equivoqué el número de teléfono. — "Yesterday, I mistook the phone number." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.
Can I use the present tense for the future with equivocar?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros equivocamos el nombre de su profesora. — "Tomorrow, we mistake his teacher's name." Spanish often uses the present for a plan that feels certain, where English would use the future. Add a time word such as mañana so the listener knows you mean the future.